Alaska DMV Permit Test FAQ

You need 80% — at least 16 of the 20 questions correct. You may miss up to 4 questions. If you fail, you can retake the test the very next day at no additional fee at a DMV office. Aim for 90%+ in practice tests so a small slip on test day still keeps you above the line.

If you fail the knowledge (written) test, you can retake it the following day. If you fail the road (driving) test, you must wait two business days — that's Monday–Friday excluding state and federal holidays. The DMV will not refund the driving test fee if you cancel your appointment after a failed test. Use the wait to drill the topics and chapter references where you missed questions.

Alaska's minimum age for an instruction permit is 14 years old. The permit (Class IP) is valid for 2 years and can be renewed once. Anyone under 18 needs parental or legal guardian consent on Form D1 before issuance. While driving on a permit, you must be accompanied by a licensed driver age 21+ with at least one year of experience; for passenger vehicles, the supervisor must occupy the seat beside you. The fee for an original instruction permit is $15.

Alaska provisional drivers (typically ages 16–17 with a valid permit held at least 6 months and 40 hours of supervised practice — including 10 hours in challenging conditions) face two restrictions: (1) Curfew — no driving between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM unless accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or 21+ licensed driver. The only exception is direct travel to/from work via the most direct route. (2) Passengers — only siblings may ride without a parent in the vehicle; otherwise a parent, legal guardian, or 21+ driver must be present. Provisional restrictions can be removed after 6 months of conviction-free driving (no traffic or alcohol/drug offenses). Provisional drivers who accumulate 6+ points in 12 months must complete a Driver Improvement Course.

It is illegal in Alaska for any person under 21 to consume alcohol. If a minor under 21 operates a motor vehicle, aircraft, or watercraft after consuming alcohol in ANY amount, they can be arrested or cited for "minor operating after consuming alcohol." First offense: 30-day administrative revocation; second offense: 90 days; third or later: 1 year. A breath test result of 0.08+ also triggers the standard adult DUI consequences. Refusing the chemical test is a separate criminal charge. Fraudulent use of a driver's license to obtain alcohol carries its own revocation: 60 days first offense, 1 year for any subsequent.

Alaska's per se BAC limit is 0.08% for non-commercial drivers age 21 and older. For commercial drivers (CDL), the limit is 0.04%. Drivers under 21 face Zero Tolerance — any detectable amount of alcohol is illegal. By driving on Alaska roads, you have already given Implied Consent to a chemical test of your breath under AS 28.35. Refusing the test is a separate criminal charge with the same consequences as DUI itself, and the refusal stays on your record forever. A first DUI conviction carries a minimum 90-day license revocation, $1,500 fine, 72 hours jail, and a 6-month Ignition Interlock Device.

Alaska default speed limits unless otherwise posted are: 20 mph in a business district; 25 mph in a residential district; 20 mph in a school zone; 15 mph in an alley; and 55 mph on any other roadway not otherwise listed (some highways are posted up to 65 mph). Drivers must always reduce to a careful and prudent speed for traffic, surface, width, and weather. Within a designated Traffic Safety Corridor, fines for traffic offenses are DOUBLED. Driving too slowly to maintain normal traffic flow is also prohibited.

Alaska parking clearances: 15 ft from a fire hydrant; 20 ft from a crosswalk at an intersection; 20 ft from a fire station entrance; 30 ft from a stop sign, yield sign, or traffic control signal; 50 ft from a railroad crossing; and 500 ft from a fire apparatus stopped with flashing emergency lights. In parallel parking, your wheels must be within 12 inches of the near curb. Outside city limits, all four wheels must be off the pavement if possible. Never park in front of a driveway, on a sidewalk, on a crosswalk, in an intersection, on a bridge, in a tunnel, or beside another parked vehicle.

A first DUI in Alaska carries a 90-day license revocation minimum, $1,500 minimum fine, 72 hours minimum jail, and a 6-month Ignition Interlock Device after conviction. Second DUI: $3,000 fine, 20 days jail, 1 year revocation. Third DUI: $4,000 fine, 60 days jail, 3 years revocation. DUI is also 10 points on the driving record and stays on your record forever. License reinstatement fees: $200 / $250 / $500. SR-22 insurance can cost $2,000–$10,000 over 5 years. The Alaska Driver Manual estimates the average total cost of a first DUI at about $22,740.

Alaska's Mandatory Insurance Law requires liability coverage with minimum limits of $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident for bodily injury or death, and $25,000 per accident for property damage. You must carry proof of insurance in your vehicle. A Certificate of Insurance is required for any crash with property damage of $501 or more or any injury, submitted to the DMV within 15 days. Alaska's Financial Responsibility Law allows the DMV to suspend driving privileges of an uninsured driver involved in a qualifying crash, even if they did not cause it.

Yes. In Alaska, right turns on red are permitted after a complete stop, when safe, unless a "No Turn on Red" sign is posted. You must yield to pedestrians and any traffic that has the right of way. A red arrow means no turns are allowed at all until the arrow changes to green or flashing yellow — even right turns are prohibited on a red arrow. Always treat a flashing yellow arrow as a permitted but unprotected turn: yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

Alaska standard non-commercial licenses are typically renewable for a fee of $20 at any DMV office or through the DMV online portal. If you are under 21, your license expires 90 days after your 21st birthday, and you must pass an alcohol awareness test before renewing. You must notify the DMV in writing within 30 days of any name or address change. New residents from another state have 90 days after entry to obtain an Alaska driver license.